Iowa State University Student Veterans of America was established this semester and is serving 30 of the more than 400 ISU veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

The ISU organization is one chapter of the national organization Student Veterans of America, which was started in January 2008 with the goal of establishing student veteran organizations in every region of the U.S.

ISUSVA’s mission is to ease the transition of veterans into higher education and help maintain contact among student veterans nationwide, and the local chapter intends to extend its hand to ISU veterans.

ISUSVA President Maurice Curry, senior in hotel, restaurant and institution management and ISUSVA Secretary Anastasia Bodnar, graduate student in agronomy, co-founded Iowa State’s chapter this semester.

Bodnar said the organization hopes to help veterans establish the same connection at Iowa State that they had during their time in the military.

“You can build strong friendships in the military, but in classes you are very independent,” Bodnar said. “We are hoping to supply Iowa State with an organization with a military base that can incorporate that same camaraderie found in the military.”

ISUSVA has three main purposes – social, legislative and service.

A number of individuals affiliated with ISUSVA said creating a social network is the most common struggle returning veterans face. Most veterans return to Iowa State much older than their peers and, at times, find it hard to fit in.

Kathryn Blake, junior in kinesiology and health and ISUSVA chairwoman for social and service events, said the group allows returning soldiers to share their experiences with someone who has been in their shoes. Although she never spent time in a war zone, Blake, a 25-year-old transfer student and equipment tester for the U.S. Air Force, has used ISUSVA to her advantage.

“I can get along and fit in with friends I may not have known otherwise,” Blake said. “You don’t feel out of place, no matter what year or major you are.”

ISUSVA public relations officer Ryan Bratvold, junior in pre-journalism and mass communication,found it hard to meet new people after leaving as a freshman to serve in Kuwait.

After serving a year of duty, he enrolled at a community college to reconnect with his family. By the time he got back to Iowa State, most of his friends had graduated or transferred. Besides helping him get involved at Iowa State, ISUSVA helped him build his resume with his position within the organization.

For Jim Adams, junior in management, the biggest struggle as a veteran was coming to Iowa State as a 21-year-old freshman in 2005 and finding someone to “grab a pint with.”

In addition to the help provided by ISUSVA, legislation of major importance to student veterans is under consideration in Congress. One goal of ISUSVA is to push legislation, such as the 21st Century GI Bill, to increase available funding for affordable health care, education and job training for veterans.

“Now is the time to get things changed – we need to get better educational benefits for those giving up their best years to serve our country,” Bodnar said.

While the organization allocates a significant amount of time to supporting legislation, ISUSVA is also planning volunteer and service projects to assist members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Although the organization is new and has few resources, it has received a lot of support from interested students, alumni and faculty and staff members hoping for future expansion. In the meantime, Bodnar said, ISUSVA will continue to extend its hand to the ISU community.

“We are here for whatever vets want us to be – from hanging out to lobbying, we are here for them,” Bodnar said.

A social event will be held at Legends American Grill on April 22 from 6-8 p.m., with the intent of recruiting ISU veterans who may not have been aware of the organization. The organization can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].